1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus for and method of releasably supporting an article to a supporting environmental surface by hook and loop fastener. More particularly, one or more strips of hook and loop fastener is embedded in and projects from the article being supported.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many objects and depletable substances are preferably stored exposed in a convenient place. If the objects and substances are not subject to contamination by exposure to air, then they may suspended from an environmental surface by a tether embedded in the object or substance. Such arrangements are known, wherein the tether is a rope, or includes complicating structure such as knots, snaps, and other arrangements for engaging a cooperating attachment device, such as a hook.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,642,871, issued to Bruce Repert et al. on Jul. 1, 1997, is directed to a suspendable soap holder. The soap holder comprises a buoyant body to which is attached a suspender in the form of a loop, for attaching the soap to a hook mounted to an environmental surface. The buoyant body also incorporates one member of mutually attracting devices. The other member of the mutually attracting devices is embedded within the bar of soap. In the preferred embodiment, the mutually attracting devices operate magnetically such that the bar of soap is attracted to the buoyant body. Repert et al. acknowledges that hook and loop material, as well as other specified two-part connectors, could be substituted for the magnet. However, no specific arrangement of hook and loop material is either shown or described.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,160,523, issued to William D. Hull on Dec. 8, 1964, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,796,665, issued to Levi G. Allen on Mar. 12, 1974, illustrate rope or similar cords embedded within and projecting from bars of soap. There is no suggestion of using hook and loop material in either patent.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,741,852, issued to John Ondracek on May 3, 1988, describes a soap bar wherein a sheet of fabric is embedded therein and projects therefrom. The fabric is unrelated to attachment of the bar of soap to an environmental surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,315,933, issued to Charles H. Tatham on Apr. 25, 1967, describes structure for supporting a cake of soap from a rod. A thimble shaped liner which receives the end of the rod is cast into the soap, as well as an opening affording access to the liner. Tatham discusses desirability of suspending soap in a manner promoting rapid drying, but fails to suggest the use of hook and loop material to accomplish his stated end.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.
The present invention provides readily fabricated, secure, convenient mounting for diverse articles. This mounting is particularly suitable for depletable substances such as bars of hand soap. Other examples of depletable substances include solid forms impregnated with substances which are intended to be slowly or progressively dispensed or disseminated into a fluid medium or to an animal or person, such as fertilizer, colorants, medicaments, sweeteners, nutrients, chemical reactants, odorants and deodorants, and bactericides, to name a random few. One or more strips of hook and loop fastener is embedded within the substance. Each strip projects from the article, and can be readily and removably attached to a complementary patch of hook and loop material which is permanently fastened in a desired location to an environmental surface. Alternatively, two strips be embedded in and project from the substance, so that the two straps can be fastened to one another to form an openable loop.
Advantages of this uncomplicated arrangement go well beyond those available from seemingly similar arrangements. A significant advantage is that the material of the suspended article which surrounds the hook and loop strip need not touch any other environmental object. Thus this article can be suspended without scratching, depositing some material on, or otherwise marring or fouling an environmental surface. Bars of hand soap, for example, can be suspended and allowed to dry. No soap flows onto an environmental surface such as sinks, bathtubs, and others, to mar the environmental surface and to hasten depletion of the soap. Another advantage is that the environmental surface supporting the article need not be penetrated or damaged such as by drilling, driving a fastener, and the like. Also, the complementing patch of hook and loop material does not project outwardly from the supporting surface as does other attachment structure such as hooks.
Unlike fasteners such as snaps, fastening can proceed without demanding precise alignment of, for example, one snap with another, encirclement of a potentially small hook, and of other structure. Still another advantage is that minor adjustment of position of the suspended article is possible by adjusting position of the exposed strip of hook and loop material relative to the complementing patch permanently fixed to the environmental surface. Therefore, several articles can be suspended in close proximity and adjusted to assure that one will not contact an adjacent article.
Another benefit of the novel arrangement is that the strip of hook and loop material can form a loop wherein both ends of the strip are embedded within the article. Thus the user has two available ways of suspending the article. One is by engagement of a projection such as a hook, and the other is by contact with complementing hook and loop material. The loop can further serve as a handle for wielding the article.
Articles which benefit by the novel arrangement include those with tacky or wet surfaces, or which could transfer constituent material to an environmental surface. Bar soap can be suspended so that the entire exterior surface is exposed to air, thereby drying without depositing fluid or dissolved soap on hard surfaces. Articles intended to discharge volatile substances to the air, such as perfumes, can maximize exposed surface area, and hence rate of discharge, relative to their total surface area.
The nature of hook and loop material promotes retention and conservation of solid or bar soap. Soap becomes entrapped within the individual hook or loop members, and is retained. When wetted, the strip of hook and loop material provides the function of a scrubbing device saturated with soap. Therefore, the soap is fully utilized. This function is not satisfactorily achieved by ropes.
In some usages, incidental contact with an environmental surface and loss of some constituent material is acceptable, but it is strongly desired to catch that material which is lost. For example, a bar of soap may be suspended from an interior surface of a waste sink or a soap receptacle, so that drippage from the bar is not objectionable. Alternatively, the bar of soap may be suspended on an outside surface of a sink.
A method of fabricating an article according to the invention includes the step of leaving at least part of the strip of hook and loop material exposed to air while the constituent material is poured in fluid form around one or two ends o f the s trip of hook and loop material.
Accordingly, it is one object of the invention to provide ready, removable fastening of an article to an environmental surface.
It is another object of the invention to avoid contacting and marring an environmental surface by an article capable of transferring some constituent material to the environmental surface.
It is a further object of the invention to maximize rate of drying of wet articles due to exposure to air.
Still another object of the invention is to maximize rate of discharge of volatile substances from solid carriers due to exposure to air.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.